Can Venetoclax/Venetoclax be used by children?

Venetoclax/Venetoclax is a targeted drug for specific types of leukemia. It is mainly used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). There has been relatively little research and use of venetoclax in children. At present, the safety and effectiveness of venetoclax in children have not been fully verified, so caution should be used in clinical use.

According to the existing clinical data, venetoclax is mainly studied on adult patients, and there are a limited number of relevant clinical trials on pediatric patients. While some preliminary studies suggest that venetoclax can be used as part of salvage chemotherapy in pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML), venetoclax in combination with a hypomethylating agent provides a well-tolerated regimen in children who are not candidates for intensive cytotoxic chemotherapy. As successful as it has been in the adult population, its use in first-line trials in pediatric AML patients still requires further investigation.

In clinical practice, doctors usually decide whether it is appropriate to use venetoclax based on the specific conditions of pediatric patients, including age, weight, severity of illness and other factors. For some eligible pediatric patients, doctors may choose venetoclax as part of their treatment, but this often needs to be done under strict supervision.

In addition, the dosage adjustment of venetoclax requires special attention when used in children. Unlike adults, children have individual differences in metabolic capacity and drug responsiveness and therefore cannot simply be converted to adult doses. This requires doctors to comprehensively consider the specific conditions of children when formulating treatment plans to ensure the safety and effectiveness of medication.

Reference materials:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10093646/